Police Seek Identities of Thieves

Fairfax County Crime Solvers is asking the public's help in identifying the persons responsible for several larcenies at the Holiday Inn Fair Oaks at 11787 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway in Fairfax.

Since June 2003, at least 10 thefts have occurred there, mainly during the early morning hours. According to police, the majority of the victims were Asian tourists visiting from other countries.

"The suspects usually use some type of ruse to get into the hotel room, posing as maintenance workers or employees of the hotel," explain police. "Once inside, one person will speak to the victim and distract them while the other rummages through their belongings."

Cash, passports, jewelry and video cameras have been stolen. Furthermore, detectives investigating these larcenies are looking into several other incidents at area hotels and investigating the possibility that they could be related.

According to police, detectives believe several people could be involved in these crimes. Victims have described at least five different people. The first suspect is described as a Middle-Eastern man who looked Hispanic and is in his late 30s. He's 5 feet 7 inches and weighs 135-150 pounds. He had a rough beard around his jaw line and wore a white baseball cap, beige jacket and khaki pants.

The second suspect was also described as a Middle-Eastern male who looked Hispanic. The third person was described as a Hispanic female, and the others were described only as a black male and a black female.

Anyone with information about any of these larcenies or the suspects involved is asked to call Crime Solvers at 1-800-673-2777 or 706-691-8888. A $1,000 cash reward will be paid for information leading to an arrest. As always, callers may remain anonymous — they do not have to give their names or appear in court.